Today is the Super Duper Blue Red Full Eclipse Partial Eclipse Moon, depending on where you may be viewing from.

Three years ago this day was my last day of working and I retired after 46 years of full-time work. I've enjoyed every single moment of my retirement since then - three years and hoping for twenty more, we'll see how things go...

February and March can be cruel months in southeastern Wisconsin where I live. January itself was nutso here weather-wise, with two separate thaws. I don't ever remember getting two January thaws before, and many years none happened at all.

Before I know it I'll be headed to Las Vegas to visit my friends and celebrate some sunshine and warm weather, and see a show (I always try to squeeze one in). Meanwhile, I am continuing, slowly, to make this smaller retirement ranch into a home that makes me smile in every room. I still have lots to do, including major painting projects. I keep putting them off. Seems at 66 I'm not so keen on painting as I was at 36. Gee, I wonder why...

Jan

Monday, October 13, 2014

Before and After

Wow!

I knew that Mr. and Mrs. Seller of this version of Maison Newton had a lot of work done to the place -- new roof on house and garage, new siding, new windows and doors on the house, privacy fence added along the driveway, a very large concrete patio and new service walk to the rear storage area (roofed over by Mr. Seller) behind the garage installed, and more. I thought the house was very attractive when I saw it for the first time. I especially liked the crisp white trim against the darker siding.

I did not realize how much of a difference those improvements made until today, when I found a Google Earth street photo of my home from August 2011. Here is what it looked like then:

Here is what it looked like in the spring, 2014 listing photos:

I wasn't even sure it was the same house when I first saw the Google Earth image! It was the evergreens on the right side of the driveway that convinced me it was, indeed, my house!

2017 Christmas Tree

2016 Christmas Tree

2014 Christmas Mantle/Mantel

2014 Front Porch

About Me

I'm one of the founders of Goddesschess, which went online May 6, 1999. I earned an under-graduate degree in history and economics going to college part-time nights, weekends and summer school while working full-time, and went on to earn a post-graduate degree (J.D.) I love the challenge of research, and spend my spare time reading and writing about my favorite subjects, travelling and working in my gardens. My family and my friends are most important in my life. For the second half of my life, I'm focusing on "doable" things to help local chess initiatives, starting in my own home town. And I'm experiencing a sort of personal "Renaissance" that is leaving me rather breathless...